As a camera module is recently miniaturized and a storage space for storing an image is implemented as memory, various types of camera modules have been applied to a vehicle. When compared with cameras applied to portable electronic devices, such camera modules are easily susceptible to water and contaminants. Thus, a cable connection structure capable of preventing permeation of water and dust is required.
Generally, a cable coupled to a camera module has a connector on a base of a housing in which the camera module is installed, and a plug member coupled with the cable is connected to the connector. Further, in order to prevent water or dust from entering a junction between the connector and the plug member, a sealing member such as an O-ring is inserted into the junction. The connector and the plug member are connected to each other using a fixing member that is fastened by a screw-type fastening method and is made of a resin material.
However, such a connection structure is problematic in that the fixing member made of the resin material is continuously subjected to an elastic restoring force of the sealing member such as the O-ring, so that a portion of the fixing member corresponding to the sealing member may be bent or deformed.
Further, since a connecting operation must be performed using an additional fastening member such as a screw, with the O-ring being interposed between the connector and the plug member, it is difficult to automate an assembly operation and thereby the assembly operation is generally performed manually. As a result, assemblability is poor.
Furthermore, when the connection structure is comprised of the connector and the plug member, a mounting area of a printed circuit board increases, thus undesirably causing an increase in size of a part. In the case of a small-sized camera module, the plug member must be miniaturized. To this end, the cable comprises cables of different thicknesses, which are joined together using a joint member such as a joint terminal. It is cumbersome to implement such a configuration.